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Book Review: Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Non-fiction This book is the second out of a set of four written by Bob Woodward on the Bush Presidency. It details the days from the end of 9/11 through the invasion of Iraq. The book is a result of over 75 compiled interviews with several members of the Cabinet including the President himself. In many places in the book, Woodward analyzes and often criticizes the decisions made by several cabinet members, including the President himself. He questions, and even rejects the veracity of a lot of the evidence brought to the cabinet … Continue reading Book Review: Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward

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Book Review: Numbers by Rachel Ward

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 14 and up In this book, the author weaves a terrifying tale of a girl who can see the date on which each person will die. A novel concept which is well-executed, this book promises to leave you on the edge of your seat. This book is written is from a young girl’s perspective. And while it is understandable that the author would want to stay in character, the writing style of this book seems a little amateur, in that it is difficult to grasp a deeper meaning from the book … Continue reading Book Review: Numbers by Rachel Ward

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Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Era: Romantic Okay, let’s be completely honest, this isn’t one of the most interesting and engaging books ever written. It is, however, a very iconic piece of literature for many reasons. First, Frankenstein was one of the first true “horror” books ever written in this time period. It focused a lot on legitimate science instead of alchemy, which was different from most books in that era. The introduction of the tabula rasa, or blank slate, is also an interesting idea about how society shapes who we are. Perhaps the most interesting aspect, however, is how this book … Continue reading Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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Book Review: Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 14 and up This book was not one that I could finish in one sitting, just because of the sheer density and length of the book. I felt that the author could possibly have gotten the point across in fewer pages, even though the story was unique, and different from most that I have been reading. I felt that the main character is blatantly sexist on multiple occasions, which is probably an accurate reflection of the time period this story is based in. ———————————————————————– Mahendra is a young man who refuses to marry until he … Continue reading Book Review: Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore

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Book Review: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Time period: Realism This is another book that I just finished in English class. I generally would not recommend this book to people who do not like dense reading, although the book isn’t very long. Fathers and Sons was written in 1862, during the realist era, and as such, focuses a lot on science and the different philosophical ideas arising during this time. The books explores nihilist ideals as well as an increased focus on science, which seems to be a recurring theme during this time period. ———————————— Arkady and Bazarov are visiting Arkady’s father … Continue reading Book Review: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

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Book Review: La Vida es Sueño by Pedro Calderón de la Barca

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Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven’t posted at all for a very long time but I got caught up with a lot of work and also had a lot of debate tournaments in the last few months. Here’s the next book review! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Genre: Fiction Age Recommended: 14 and up This book was part of a reading assignment that I had in English class recently. I enjoyed it immensely because of the way the author made the reader sympathize with the main character’s situation, even though he was portrayed in a bad light. This book … Continue reading Book Review: La Vida es Sueño by Pedro Calderón de la Barca

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Book Review: When You Never Said Goodbye by Meg Kearney

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Genre: Realistic Fiction Age Recommended: 13 and up This book was an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley I didn’t really enjoy this book, because while it was a good story and has well developed characters, I felt that the author tried too hard to drag the story out. Even though this book was the third in a series and I easily understood it without having read the first two. —————————– Liz’s adoptive father has just passed away, which is making her more eager than ever to find her birth mother. After saying goodbye to her mother after … Continue reading Book Review: When You Never Said Goodbye by Meg Kearney

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Book Review: Whisper by Stacey R. Campbell (ARC)

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Age Recommended: 15 and up Note: This was an Advance Reader Copy, courtesy of NetGalley. There are parts of Whisper that aren’t entirely appropriate for someone my age (12) and I felt that the author uses unnecessary cuss words just to make the book seem “cool.” That said, the story-line is great and the theme of the book really kept me interested. The way that Stacey R. Campbell describes Elsie’s ghost is amazing. Halle has discovered a journal in the attic. It turns out to belong to Elsie, the dead daughter of the founder … Continue reading Book Review: Whisper by Stacey R. Campbell (ARC)

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Book Review: An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle

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Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars Age Recommended: 11 and up An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle was one of my favorites in the quintet. The beginning was a little confusing because the story was set one generation in the future and the main character was Meg and and Calvin’s daughter, Polly, but the rest of the book was extraordinary. The time gate has been opened again at the arrival of Polly O’Keefe. Polly has been at her grandparent’s house for a couple of weeks and her life has followed the same routine. One day, when she steps out to … Continue reading Book Review: An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle

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Book Review: Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle

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Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars Age Recommended: 11 and up Many Waters stands out in the Wrinkle of Time quintet, because the story’s focus is entirely on the Murry twins and there is almost no mention of Meg or Charles Wallace. In this book, there are many fictional creatures but the story felt real all the same. The story takes place during the time of Noah’s Ark and the twins are absolutely sure that they are there to change something. What that is, they don’t know. Sandy and Dennys, the Murry twins, are home alone one time, and in playing … Continue reading Book Review: Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle